What is the symbolism of the Book of Myths in the poem, Diving Into the Wreck?

The book of myths symbolizes knowledge passed down in the form of stories. Myths are often associated with the origins of creation and stories that explain why something is the way that it is. Mythology is a large part of the formation of cultures and social norms. They also represent the stories we tell ourselves as individuals about how we grew to be the way that we are. The problem with relying solely on myths is that the stories they tell are not always complete truths. The speaker knows that the words in the book of myths have “purposes” and can be used as “maps,” but that truth lies in “the wreck and not the story of the wreck / the thing itself and not the myth” (53-63). The book of myths’ symbolism is as open to interpretation as the speaker’s identity, but it is clear the speaker does not trust the book’s version of history. Experiencing something, diving into the wreck, is the only way to gain certain truths.

In a queer and feminist reading of the poem’s extended metaphor, the book of myths is a manual for social and gender norms that have been delineated by a heteronormative and patriarchal society. The stories of the wreck, or what womanhood “should be,” does not allow for an inclusive definition of who can participate in womanhood.